Die casting machine



March 19, 1940. MORlN AL 2,193,832

DIE CASTING IIACHINE Filed larch 3, 1-938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 EI/111M242? INVENTORS .35 LOUIS H. MORIN DAVIS MARI NSKY ATTORNE? March 19, 1940.

L. H. MORIN r:r AL

DIE CASTING momma Filed larch 3, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS LOUIS H. MORIN DAVIS MARINSKY ATTOxEY Patented Mar. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE ms cas'rmc moms Application March 3, 1938, Serial No. 193,721 7 Claims. (CI. 18-30) This invention relates to die casting machines and particularly to machines which are designed foruse in forming successive series of die castings upon a mounting member in'spacing groups 5 of said castings thereon and also in arranging different colored thermoplastic castings in predetermined groups or series of the respective colors in producing designs or patterns on the resulting member or apair of such members 10 arranged side by side and coupled together. More particularly, the invention relates to a machine of the character described employing a pair of cylinders into which separate charges of casting material of different colors may be 15 placed with means controlling movement of the respective cylinder into registering position with the impression or mold cavity of the dies employed in controlling and regulating a successive series of difierent castings formed on a mounting 20 member; and further to the provision of means controlling the starting and arrangement of castings of the diiferent colors in a predetermined grouped arrangement of castings on a mounting member. The novel features of the invention will be best understood from the following description and annexed drawings in which one embodiment of the invention is disclosed and in which such parts only of the machine as pertain to the present invention are shown, the separate parts being designated by suitable reference characters in each of the views, and in which:

Fig. 1 is a side and sectional view of a part of a machine made according to the invention.

Fig. 2 is a partial section on the line 22 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view substantially on the irregular line 3-4 of Fig. 1 diagrammatically illustrating several parts of the machine. 1 Fig. 4 is a diagrammatic illustration substantially on the line 6-4 of Fig. 1 showing a part of the construction.

Fig. 5 is a detail view of one form of article made according to the invention and showing only part of the construction; and,

Fig. 6 is another detail view of another form of article made according to the invention.

The present machine constitutes an improve- 50 ment on the machine shown in our prior appli- InFig. 1 of thedrawings l represents a drive shaft of the machine which is geared to a cam shaft through suitable gears. 0n the cam shaft are two cams l2 and i3 which operate upon a three-way crank l4 pivoted as seen at I5. One arm l6 of the crank carries a roller |6a operating'upon the cam i2. Another arm ll of the crank carries a roller Ila operating upon the cam iii in the manner taught in said earlier application. In the present case, however, the third arm l8 oi the crank i4 carries two ball ends I9, I91: arranged in swivel sockets |9b coupled with plunger operating rods 20, 2lla. The rods 20, 20a are coupled with two plungers 2|, 2|n. through independent bellcranks 22, 22a pivoted as seen at 23. Each crank has a swivel mounting 24, 24a upon the rods 20, a, and the other ends 25, 25a'of said cranks operate in yokes 26, 260 on each of the plungers 2|, 2|a.

The ends 24, 24a of the bellcranks are coupled 20 with sleeves 21, 21a. slidable on the rods 20, 20a and springs 28, 28a are employed to tensionally support the sleeves in a depressed position. This construction permits the plungers 2|, 2|a to be resiliently actuated or to back up against the 25 springs should the forward progress of the rods be checked. This is especially true when one of the plungers is not in operative position with respect to the dies employed as later described. In the construction shown a dual cylinder unit 29, 30 is employed having cylinders 30, 30a. in which the respective plungers 2|, 2|a operate. The cylinders have independent nozzle discharges 3|, lla which are normally supported at opposite sides of the admission passage 32'to a mold cavity or impression 33 formed between adjacent dies or die parts 34, 34a which are moved toward and from each other by suitable means as diagrammatically indicated at 35, 35a in Fig. 2 of the drawings. The cylinder unit 29 is heated and cooled in the manner taught in said prior application and each cylinder is provided intermediate the heated and cooled ends thereof with an admission opening, one of which is shown at 36 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Supported above each opening is a small hopper 91 above which is a feed pipe 39 into which thermoplastic material from'independent supply hoppers 39, only one of which is shown, is adapted to be fed. This feed is controlled by slides 4|] coupled with each plunger through arms 4|, each slide having a measuring aperture 42 having a sub-division or partition 43. These apertures are adapted to be brought into registration with the feed pipes 38 to control the supply of the material to the respective cylinders II, "a forwardly of the plungers 2|, Ila therein in the successive strokes of the plungers; the feed being controlled by the degree of forward movement of the plungers.

In this connection, the method forming one of the several functions of the present machine is clearly set forth in our prior application Serial No. 131,608, filed March 18, 1937. While only one of the hoppers ll is illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood that two hoppers similar in cross section to that shown in Fig. 1 will be employed. while these hoppers may be spaced apart, the pipes 30 may be so curved as to extend to the small hoppers 31 immediately above each cylinder 30, "a.

As in the teachings of the machine of our application Serial No. 152,942, the entire cylinder mechanism including the hoppers and the bellcranks 22 are supported in connection with a frame 44 mounted to swing upon a shaft ll. While in the earlier application this structure was employed simply to maintain a single cylinder in constant engagement with one of the dies employed, in the present case it is also employed to move the respective cylinder II, "a or the nozzles 3|, Sla thereof into registering position with the passage 32 opening into the cavity 33.

In the present construction, a box or bearing 46 is provided at one side of the frame 44 and coupled therewith is the ball end 41 of an adjustable link 48, note Fig. 3. The other ball end 49 of said link is coupled with one arm II of a bell-crank 5i pivoted as seen at l2. 'Ihe other arm 53 of said crank carries a roller 54 operating in a cam 55 arranged upon a shaft it.

In the construction shown, the cam II has five outwardly extending lobes I1 and one inwardly extending lobe 58. Intermediate the adjacent lobes, the surfaces of the cam maintain the cylinders 30, 30a in the neutral position shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings; or in other words, in the position which is also shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. On the shaft II is a gear I. which meshes with the gear ill on a shaft ti mounted in a suitable bracket 62. On this shaft is a worm 63 which meshes with-a worm wheel 84 arranged upon the shaft 58. This shaft is provided with a gear 65 which meshes with a gear 66 on a shaft 66a suitably supported in the machine as indicated in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

The shaft 66a also carries a sprocket 81 which in the construction shown is provided with six teeth, which for descriptive purposes, and as a matter of fact in actual use, will be preferably numbered for efilcient operation of the machine 1 to 6 inclusive, in order to guide the operator in placing a chain 88 upon the sprocket l1, and particularly in locating the trip link I. of the chain with respect to one of the six teeth of said sprocket.

The chain 68 is similar to the control chain employed in our earlier. application Serial No. 152,942 to control the wide spacing of a mounting tape HI of a separable fastener in spacing one series of cast links from another in forming what is commonly referred to as stringer lengths. In this connection, it will be apparent that the length of the chain 68, in a particular ratio of drive of the shaft Bid with respect to the drive shaft, may govern the length of the stringer or the distance between two or more of the trip links II on said chain, may govern the stringer length. As in the patent application referred to, the trip 69 operates to release a pawl II to permit a spring-- operated rod 12 to move a roller I! in the direc tion of a rotating tape feed wheel 14 to grip the tape II and feed a predetermined length thereof quickly through the machine and produce said wide spacing of the cast links II on the tape ll as partially illustrated in Fig. 4 of the drawings.

with the particular type of cam employed in the accomp nying drawings, and assuming that the hoppers 3| employed will feed a red thermoplastic material to the cylinder 30 and a blue thermoplastic material to the cylinder "0, the

resulting castings on the stringer tape in the succe'ssive operations of the machine will form at every sixth casting a blue link 18a; whereas the intermediate five castings "b, will be red. By properly starting each stringer of the separable fastener controlled through the medium of the strip '0, the blue links "a may be arranged adjacent each other throughout the fastener. On the other hand, any arrangement of the blue links on a pair of stringers may be provided.

In this connection, it will also be apparent that by changing the cam II, and on some occasions, by also changing the sprocket 81, many other combinations of links of different colors may be provided. For example, alternate links may be red and blue on each stringer. On the other hand, three red and three blue links may be successively cast. In view of the fact that each stringer is separately formed, it is also possible to have a series of one combination of colors on one stringer, and another series of the same colors on the opposed stringer.

In Fig. 6 of the drawings, we have illustrated another use of our invention which is applicable to die casting machines generally, regardless of the particular type and kind of casting material employed. With this construction a cam similar to the cam I! will be provided and so constructed as to maintain one or two nozzles away from registe ing position with the dies during one cycle of operation of the machine so that a blank such as 150 will be formed on, for example, each stringer as clearly seen in Fig. 6. These blanks are shown arranged in opposed relation, so that the resulting fastener is composed of a multiple series of groups lid of interengaged links between the blanks or spaces "c. This idea maybe incorporated in conjunction with cast links of any single color or kind throughout. On the other hand, one group of links as at lid may be one color and the next adjacent group of another color by utilizing a suitable cam to control the operation of a two cylinder unit as herein disclosed. It will of course be apparent that the blank spaces may be irregularly arranged on the separate stringers.

In connection with the structure shown in Fig.

6, it will be understood that this type of construction, in its various phases, is not adaptable for the generaluses of separable fasteners and especially where such fasteners are subjected to separating stresses or strains. However, it may be used as a means of coupling two parts or articles together to produce a more ornamental effect. Aside from the fastener uses, this particular form of construction is also adaptable in casting series of ornamental devices upon an edge of a strip or strand or entirely around a small strand in which latter event the spacing is also desirable in producing ornamental eifects.

The significance of numbering the teeth of the sprocket I! which may be employed is to properly start the first link of each stringer in a desired color and in the number of castings of such color of discharge nozzles arranged adjacent and enmade prior to the casting of the second colored link or links. In the construction as shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, it will be understood that the first five links cast may be red. On .the other hand, the first three links cast may be red, etc. This is especially desirable in substantially cen-' tralizing a pattern of the multi-color design throughout a complete stringer length, which stringer lengths vary depending upon the article or product in connection with which it is employed.

It will be understood that by employing the partition 43 in the aperture 42 of the slide 40, the measured quantity of the thermoplastic material, such as cellulose acetate, in powdered or granular form, delivered into the aperture 42 may only be partially discharged into the respective cylinders and not more than half thereof, if only half of the aperture 42 registers with the pipe 38 therewith. Of course, in some instances where the forward movement of the plunger 2|, 2la in the cylinder is not sufflcient to bring the aperture 42 into registering position with the pipe 38, then no material will be discharged into the cylinder. This will take place while one of the cylinders is kept out of registering position with the impression of the die. the five red castings 15b are made, as in Fig. 5, the cylinder 30a will not become excessively charged with the casting material in that its plunger Zla, while being actuated through the lever I 4, is not advanced to the degree that the plunger 2| will be advanced in that nozzle end and is sealed upon the die 340. Thus the plunger 2| is relieved through its spring 28a and the same condition will take place when the cylinder 30 is in the non-registering position.

In additionto forming castings of different colors, it will also be understood that our present invention, utilizing the dual cylinder construction, may also be employed in casting an unlimited number of links or castings all of the same color. The advantage in this connection would be that the speed of the machine may be materially increased from the standpoint that suflicient time may be allowed for heating the material in one cylinder while the heated material of another cylinder is being discharged. In other words, castings may be made alternately from each cylinder or two castings in successive order, etc. This arrangement would be especially practical in making individual castings apart from any type or kind of mounting member, and especially where a greater amount of casting material is employed in each casting which is formed.

4 claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Pat- For example, when gaging said dies, means for pressure discharging heated thermoplastic materials'through each of said nozzles, means for moving each of said nozzles into registering position with the cavity of said die to form a successive series of castings longitudinally of the mounting member of the materials in each of said nozzles, and said last named means controlling the number of successive castings formed from the material discharged from one nozzle as compared with the castings formed by theopposed nozzle.

2. A casting machine of the class described for forming a successive series of thermoplastic castings on a mounting member, relatively movable dies having an impression between adjacent surfaces thereof in which part of a mounting member is arranged whereby castings of the contour of said impression may be formed thereon, a pair of discharge nozzles arranged adjacent and en gaging said dies, means for pressure discharging heated thermoplastic materials through each of said nozzles, means for moving each of said nozzles into registering position with the cavity of said die to form a successive series of castings longitudinally of the mounting member of the materials in each of said nozzles, said last named means controlling the number of successive castings formed from the material discharged from one nozzle as compared with the castings formed by the opposed nozzle, one of said nozzles discharging a material of one color and the other nozzle discharging a material of a contrasting color, and manually adjustable means for setting the machine to control the color of the first casting to be formed on the mounting member as well as the number of castings of such colors to be formed in advance of the formation of castings of the other color.

3. In a machine of the character described for die casting thermoplastics, relatively movable dies having a mold cavity between adjacent surfaces thereof, a pair of cylinders having nozzle discharges normally arranged adjacent one surface of the dies at opposite sides of the parting line thereof and in nonregistering position with the mold cavity of the dies, means for introducing casting material into each of said cylinders, means for heating the material in said cylinders, means for pressure discharging the heated material from said cylinders, separately, into said mold cavity, and automatically actuated means controlling the movement of said cylin-" ders into registering position with said mold cavity to control and regulate the number of successive castings formed from the material of each cylinder with respect to the castings formed from the material of the other of said cylinders.

4. In a machine of the character described for die casting thermoplastics, relatively movable dies having a mold cavity between adjacent surfaces thereof, a pair of cylinders having nozzle discharges normally arranged adjacent one surface of the dies at opposite sides of the parting line thereof and in non-registering position with the mold cavity of the dies, means for introducing casting material into each of said cylinders, means for heating the material in said cylinders, means for pressure discharging the heated material from said cylinders, separately, into said mold cavity, automatically actuated means controlling the movement of said cylinders into registering position with said mold cavity to control and regulate the number of successive castings formed from the material of each cylinder with respect to the castings formed from the material of the other of said cylinders. each cylinder having an independent source of supply of thermoplastic material thereto, the material of one cylinder contrasting with the material of the other cylinder, and means involving said last named means controlling the starting of any given series of successive castings formed by the materials of the respective cylinders.

5. In a casting machine of the class described, employing relatively movable dies and a mold cavity between adjacent surfaces thereof, a pair of cylinders arranged in close proximity to each other and having discharge nozzles engaging the dies at opposite sides of the parting line thereof,-

said cylinders being arranged upon a swinging frame, means involving a cam for automatically moving the swinging frame to bring the discharge nozzles of the pair of cylinders separately into registering position with the mold cavity of the dies, means for discharging heated casting material from each of said cylinders through the nozzles thereof into said mold cavity, and said cam controlling the number of successive castings formed by the material discharged from one cylinder as compared with those formed by the material discharged from the other cylinder.

6. In a casting machine of the class described,

employing relatively movable dies and a mold cavity between adjacent surfaces thereof, a pair of cylinders arranged in close proximity to each other and having discharge nozzles engaging the dies at opposite sides of the parting line thereof, said cylinders being arranged upon a swinging frame, means involving a cam for automatically moving the swinging frame to bring the discharge ncsslesofthepsirofcy lindersseparatelyinki registering position with the mold cavity of the dies, means for discharging heated casting materialfromeachofsaidcyiindersthroughthe ncnles thereof into said mold cavity," said cam controlling the number of successive castings formed by the material discharged from one cylinderascomparedwiththcseformedbythe material discharged from the other cylinder, a

single mechanism for actuating both of the discharge means of said cylinders, and each of said discharge means having resilimt means compensating for restricted movement thereof in said cylinders when the cylinders are. in nonregistering position with the mold cavity of the dies.

7.1nadiecastingmachineoftheclsssdescribed,apairofcylindersarrangedinclcse in registering position with the mold cavity of p the dies.

LOUIS H. MORIN. DAVIS MARINSKY. 

